Moving forward by looking into the past

It's been taking some time to get things sorted and arranged but after many phone calls, browsing tons of classifieds and driving kilometer after kilometer to different places, something that resembles a darkroom can be found in my studio. Here a sneak peak:

I am missing two more items to get started, which hopefully (lately I seem to use this word a lot) will arrive sooner than later.

For now I can only imagine the possibilities and all the things that I want to try which I guess is also something exciting to do while waiting, waiting and waiting to get started.

Afraid

In an earlier post, the one about the alternative processes, I was searching for a suitable topic or rather subject to photograph of which I would use the negative to print a cyanotype toned with strong tea. 

And I found it. Five solid and clean portraits showing people who just got a fright the moment the shutter triggered. It's a little tricky to execute, I thought of trowing the people with a ball. We will see. 

Not quite what I had in mind but still a very inspirational image.

 

Imagine the same style of photograph, contrast and lighting wise just with a different expression. 

To pull this into context, the metal pathway (very simplified) I walked to get to this idea was the following:

alternative processes - alternative people - portraits - blue - feeling blue - sadness - connecting images together as one - one emotion - creating one image consisting of different photographs - too complex - keep it plain - strong - clean - center shot - white background - portrait  and so forth...and then I realised while I just typed the last word (which was the word word) that I am still trying to develop concepts better for a complete picture. some things are missing still... but these sparks of light that you see when you close your eyes or stood up to quickly, equate them to little thoughts and ideas that submerge you in awesome creativeness and inspiration...will find me soon again.

Alternative Processes

It's all about Photoshop! Have you seen this? Can you do that? Look what he/she did! The difference is amazing! How did you get there?

Instead of honoring this software even more, I will revert back to photographic printing and colouring processes that look fantastic. The key.... they require a little work, actions done by hand and chemicals, not PS.

A chemical is painted onto water colour paper. Then a negative or like in the examples below objects are placed onto the dried paper and then exposed to sunlight. The parts of the paper not covered change in colour. After exposing for about 5-20 minutes (depending on the process), the paper is washed with running water (sometimes with more chemicals added to the water), which acts as a fixer. The results are as below.
All examples from www.alternativephotography.com

Cyanotypes

Vandykes

Salt

Creating a fine art series with one of these processes shall be interesting. My thoughts are running wild while I'm trying to find a suitable topic that deserves this work and effort. Possibly a series on nudes in blue? Or dark brown portraits with dramatic lighting connected with each other in some or other way, or lastly photographing the theme of "to much of a good thing is a bad thing" but on salt, which would support the message inherently. I will have to get back to this.